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Nightly Pulse: NBA News & Highlights from April 22

Follow tonight's NBA Playoffs action in real time with our Nightly Pulse blog featuring live score updates, highlights and more.

NBA.com Staff

🏀NBA Playoffs scores tonight

Pacers def. Bucks 123-115 (Leads series 2-0)

Thunder def. Grizzlies 118-99 (Leads series 2-0)

Lakers def. Timberwolves 94-85 (Series tied 1-1)

Playoff Round-Up 🗒️

1. Pacers maintain grip on Bucks series: Damian Lillard was back in the lineup for the Bucks toinght. While his 37 minutes of action was a good sign, his contribution wasn’t enough to push the team past Indiana. The Pacers’ depth is proving to be problematic. Six players scored 14 points or more, as the team shot the ball incredibly. On the night they finished 48.9% from the field, 44% from three and a perfect 19-19 from the free throw line. It also helps when Pascal Siakam plays the way he did tonight.

 

 

2. OKC’s dominant homestand: Through two games, the Thunder look every bit the part of the 68-win team that entered the postseason. Oklahoma City followed their historic game one win with a 19-point victory tonight. A 15-point Oklahoma City edge coming out of the first quarter separated these two teams for good. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams posted their usual numbers, but Chet Holmgren was exceptional with a five-block, double-double performance.

 

 

3. Lakers show different side, even series: The Los Angeles Lakers flipped the script in game two, just as the Timberwolves shooting well ran dry. After sinking 21 threes in game one, Minnesota made just five tonight on 21 attempts. Luka Dončić poured in 31 points, 22 in the first half. It was a much more physical effort from the Lakers, who out-rebounded Minnesota 41-34.

 

 

Even Steven ⚖️

 

The Lakers took care of business tonight, securing the win in front of their home crowd to even this series before going to Minnesota. Luka Dončić came one assist shy of a triple-double while leading the team with 31 points. LeBron James had a near-triple-double as well, finishing with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists.

 

 

 

Getting Testy 😬

The Lakers lead is down to single-digits for the first time since the first quarter. At the same time, Luka Dončić narrowly avoided a technical foul for his reaction after gettig tangled up with Jaden McDaniels. A failed alley-oop attempt from Austin Reaves to LeBron James spoiled a fast break that turned into a Minnesota bucket. There’s plenty of game left as the Lakers lead 86-77 with six minutes to play.

 

 

Comeback in the Works 👀

 

Minnesota is trailing, but Anthony Edwards is doing what he can to mount a comeback late. He’s already outscored his game one total, and we’ve got a full quarter to go. The Lakers lead was trimmed to 13 with nine minutes to play.

 

 

CHILL OUT, ANT 🫨🚀

 

This dunk will belongs among the best we’ve ever seen from Anthony Edwards.

 

 

2 Quarters to Go 🔋

 

So far, so good for Lakers fans. The team is performing well on defense while scoring from outside, at the rim and from the line. Minnesota did steal some momentum late, prior to giving up an and-one to Rui Hachimura in the final minute. The second half gets going now.

 

Finesse 🤌

 

Rudy Gobert demonstrated some flair with this fastbreak layup.

LA’s Lead Growing 🎈

 

Both sides of the floor are in-tune for the Lakers as the first half carries on. The stifling defense from the first has carried over to the second quarter. The Lakers’ stars are handling the scoring on the other end as well, led by Luka who has 22 points already.

 

The Lakers lead 51-31 with five minutes until halftime. Jaxson Hayes is the only player in foul trouble, after picking up his third in the first half.

 

Naz Reid Foul Trouble

 

The Minnesota front-court will be shorthanded as Naz Reid heads to the bench with nine minutes to go after picking up his fourth foul, moments after earning his third. Head Coach Chris Finch opted to play the reigning sixth man of the year, despite the risk. On a positive note, Julius Randle is only Minnesota player in double figures with 11 so far.

Luka Cooking Early 👨‍🍳

After dropping 37 points in game one, Luka Dončić is on pace to surpass that mark tonight. He’s outscoring the Timberwolves by himself as the first quarter comes to a close. He’s got 16 points on 4-6 shooting after sinking a pair of free throws.

 

 

Cold Start for Minny ☃️

 

We’re seeing an uptick in energy on the defensive end from the Lakers in game two. The Timberwolves are 3-12 from the floor in the first nine minutes of action, along with three misses from the free throw line. They’ve scored just six minutes since the 9:42 mark of the first.

 

Lakers Wolves: Game 2 🍿

 

 

Jaden McDaniels started off the scoring tonight, going off the glass after some smooth ball handling. Minnesota saw their secondary scorers will them to victory in round one, and McDaniels is capable of elevating his game in the playoffs.

 

The Lakers are rolling with Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes alongside LeBron, Luka and Austin Reaves in the starting lineup tonight.

 

Thunder Cruise to Victory 🛳️

 

The Memphis Grizzlies got 68 points combined from Jaren Jackson Jr., Ja Morant and Desmond Bane – but it wasn’t nearly enough to avenge a 51-point defeat in game one. The Thunder won with ease in the end, 118-99. Oklahoma City caused twice as many turnovers tonight, 14-7, giving them more chances to score that they capitalized on.

 

 

The series will pick things up in Memphis for game three.

 

 

🏁 Indy Grabs 2-0 Lead 🏁

 

 

The Pacers thwarted a last-minute comeback attempt by Milwaukee to complete tonight’s win. With that, the Pacers have successfully defended home court in their opening stand of the first-round matchup. Six Pacers players scored 14 points or more. The Bucks won eight consecutive to close the regular season, but have dropped two in a row to open postseason play.

 

 

Damian Lillard returned for Milwaukee, ending a month-long absence due to deep vein thrombosis. He played 37 minutes on the night. It was an inefficient shooting night, however, as Lillard finished with 14 points on 4-13 shooting. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 34 points while grabbing 18 rebounds in the losing effort.

 

😳 Grizz HC T’d Up

 

Interim Head Coach Tuomas Lisalo received a technical after contesting a no-call and approaching an official. It followed a Memphis turnover, where Ja Morant was stripped, leading to a fast break layup for the Thunder. The lead now sits at 21, 102-81, with seven minutes to play.

 

Late Bucks Surge 🚨

 

They’ve been playing catch up nearly all night, but with the game on the line, Milwaukee is storming back late. With less than five minutes to play the lead has been shrunk to eight, 115-107. The Bucks are in the midst of a 7-0 stretch as play resumes following a Pacers timeout. Bobby Portis Jr. in particular is giving his team life. He’s closing in on a new career-high for points in a playoff game as he sits at 28 on the night.

 

 

Grizz Cut into Lead, OKC Answers 📵

At the conclusion of the third quarter, the Grizzlies were eyeing a comeback. The 18-point halftime lead was trimmed to just 11. Jaren Jackson Jr. leads their scoring attack, he’s up to 22 points on the night. See some of Memphis’ highlights below.

 

 

The top-seeded Thunder responded to begin the last quarter of play. A quick 7-0 run forced a Grizzlies timeout, as they now trail by 18 with 10 minutes to play.

 

 

📺 4th quarter incoming in Indy

The Pacers lead the Bucks 99-87 as we head to the fourth quarter. The game has essentially been a dead heat since the first quarter, but the Pacers’ 40-point outburst in the opening period has given them some cushion.

The Bucks are staring at an 0-2 deficit if they can’t get a comeback going in the fourth.

Tune into NBA TV to catch the action.

🏆 Payton Pritchard talks #KiaSixth Award

Boston’s Payton Pritchard joined NBA TV tonight to talk about his freshly minted Kia Sixth Man of the Year Award. Pritchard had the most made 3’s of any player coming off the bench in NBA history this season.

Catch his interview with the NBA TV studio below.

 

🔥 Thunder up 18 at the break

Memphis struggled out of the gate and trailed by 15 at the end of the first quarter. The Grizzlies essentially went bucket-for-bucket with the Thunder in the second and were only outscored 38-35 in the period. The Memphis defense continues to have difficulty slowing the well-oiled machine that is the Oklahoma City offense. The Thunder are shooting 49 percent from the floor and have hit 12 of 26 attempts from long range, including this one from Dort that was set up by some slick ballhandling and a nifty pass by SGA.

🍿 Pacers up eight at the break

Indiana 68, Milwaukee 60

Milwaukee had a strong second quarter but only chipped two points off of its deficit against Indiana. The Bucks briefly cut it to four with just over a minute to go but the Pacers locked back in and scored the final four points of the half.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis are leading the way with 14 points apiece and Damian Lillard is up to 11 points in 18 minutes of work.

On the Pacers’ side, Tyrese Haliburton is causing all sorts of problems for the Bucks defense. He has already surpassed his scoring total from Game 1 (10) with 16 points and seven assists.

🕺Ant Man getting loose

Check out Anthony Edwards dialing in his pregame routine ahead of the Timberwolves’ Game 2 matchup against the Lakers. The routine includes things like hitting halfcourt shots and getting his boogie on. Hey, we can’t argue with the results.

Catch Timberwolves vs Lakers in the nightcap following the conclusion of the Grizzlies-Thunder matchup.

😯 Thunder rolling early

The Thunder have kept up their form from Game 1 in the early goings tonight and have opened up an eight-point lead over the Grizzlies.

The crowd has gotten into it at Paycom Center thanks to a big three from Chet Holmgren.

🏁 Pacers lead Bucks by 10 after one

Both teams have come out hot as the Bucks and Pacers combined for 70 points in the first quarter. The Bucks’ offense is much crisper than it was on Saturday, especially from three where they are 3-for-4.

Still, the Pacers have answered seemingly every possession and have led by as many as 15 already.

Tune into NBA TV to see whether the Pacers can keep their foot on the gas or whether the Bucks can dig into this deficit.

⏰ Dame Time is back

Damian Lillard, playing in his first game since March 18, drilled his first shot of the night in his return with a vintage stepback three. He’s up to six points over a team-high 10 minutes as the first quarter draws to a close. Catch the action on NBA TV.

🆙 No stoppin’ Obi Toppin

Obi Toppin finishes off the perfect lob from Andrew Nembhard for an easy two.

The Pacers have been red-hot in the opening period, shooting 70.6 percent from the floor and 66.7 percent from deep. They hold a double-digit lead near the end of the first quarter despite the Bucks also turning in a strong shooting night thus far (47.4 FG%, 3-4 3Pt)

⚡ Thunder vs Grizzlies Game 2 matchup

The Thunder host the Grizzlies in Game 2 of their first round series tonight at 7:30. Game 1 went decidedly in OKC’s favor with the Thunder rolling to a 131-80 victory.

The Thunder scored at least 32 points in each of the first three quarters, punctuated by a 44-point third quarter that put the game well beyond reach. They didn’t even need their stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Chet Holmgren to shine in order to get the win. Neither played over 25 minutes nor scored more than 20 points. Oklahoma City’s defense was suffocating as well as it held the Grizzlies to just 34.4 percent from the floor and 17.6 percent from deep.

The Grizzlies struggled against the Thunder during the regular season as well and will need to dig deep if they’re to even up the series tonight.

Thunder lineup

Grizzlies lineup

☘️ Payton Pritchard wins KIA Sixth Man of the Year

Boston’s Payton Pritchard had an incredible season and now gets to take home some hardware as he ran away with the KIA Sixth Man of the Year voting. He scored 82 1st place votes while Malike Beasley (2nd) finished with 13 such votes.

Pritchard’s three-point shooting off the bench was a crucial factor in Boston having another great season. He averaged 14.3 points per game over 28.4 minutes per game while shooting 40.7 percent from three. He led the NBA in points scored off the bench and his 246 made 3’s off the bench set an NBA record.

🏁 Pacers vs Bucks Game 2 matchup

The Pacers look to defend their homecourt and take a 2-0 lead in their series against the Bucks. Saturday’s Game 1 was a perfect example of Pacers basketball. They had six players score in double figures and shot 52 percent from the floor while playing great defense on the other end.

The Bucks got a terrific effort from Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had 36 points and 12 rebounds, but the team lacked contributions from its role players. That could change tonight with Damian Lillard’s much-anticipated return. While Lillard should provide a perimeter threat that was sorely lacking Saturday, the reality is that it has been over a month since he’s played in a game and it remains to be seen how minutes he can play tonight.

Regardless, this sets up as a high-intensity matchup with a lot on the line between two divisional rivals.

You can catch the action starting at 7:00 ET on NBA TV.

Damian Lillard start in return for Bucks

Lillard returns to action tonight after being sidelined for over a month while being treated for deep vein thrombosis.

Pacers lineup

🔑 NBA Playoffs storylines tonight

  • Dame returns for Bucks vs Pacers, Game 2: The Bucks get a much-needed boost going into Game 2 with Damian Lillard’s return. Milwaukee has been without Lillard since March 18 while the star underwent treatment for deep vein thrombosis. In Game 1, the Bucks struggled to find a scoring punch outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo as they fell 117-98. Lillard’s return should give the Bucks a more balanced scoring attack and open up the perimeter game, but the Pacers have showed to be a tough matchup for Milwaukee regardless.
  • Thunder look to take commanding series lead: Oklahoma City routed Memphis in Game 1 and is looking to take a 2-0 lead. Nothing went right for Memphis in the opener; Ja Morant was held to 17 points and no other starter scored in double figures. As a team, the Grizzlies shot 17.6 percent from three-point land. If Memphis can get back to its regular-season form when it shot 36.7 percent from deep, this game should be more competitive. Of course, Memphis’ defense will have to avoid the meltdown quarters as well. And that is always a tall task on the road in OKC.
  • Lakers vs Timberwolves in nightcap: The Timberwolves had one of the more surprising wins from this batch of Game 1’s. It’s not so much that they were able to beat Los Angeles, but doing so by 22 in LA is another level. The pressure is on the Lakers, who made the biggest move of the season in trading for Luka Dončić, to bounce back in Game 2 and avoid an 0-2 deficit with the series moving to Minnesota for the next two. Teams that fall behind 0-2 in the first round only come back to win 6.5 percent of the time.

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